02891cam a22003017 4500001000700000003000500007005001700012008004100029100002300070245021600093260006600309490004200375500002000417520142200437530006101859538007201920538003601992690008102028690008402109690013002193700002502323700002402348700002302372710004202395830007702437856003802514856003702552w15361NBER20170926180104.0170926s2009 mau||||fs|||| 000 0 eng d1 aBettinger, Eric P.14aThe Role of Simplification and Information in College Decisionsh[electronic resource]:bResults from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment /cEric P. Bettinger, Bridget Terry Long, Philip Oreopoulos, Lisa Sanbonmatsu. aCambridge, Mass.bNational Bureau of Economic Researchc2009.1 aNBER working paper seriesvno. w15361 aSeptember 2009.3 aGrowing concerns about low awareness and take-up rates for government support programs like college financial aid have spurred calls to simplify the application process and enhance visibility. This project examines the effects of two experimental treatments designed to test of the importance of simplification and information using a random assignment research design. H&R Block tax professionals helped low- to moderate-income families complete the FAFSA, the federal application for financial aid. Families were then given an estimate of their eligibility for government aid as well as information about local postsecondary options. A second randomly-chosen group of individuals received only personalized aid eligibility information but did not receive help completing the FAFSA. Comparing the outcomes of participants in the treatment groups to a control group using multiple sources of administrative data, the analysis suggests that individuals who received assistance with the FAFSA and information about aid were substantially more likely to submit the aid application, enroll in college the following fall, and receive more financial aid. These results suggest that simplification and providing information could be effective ways to improve college access. However, only providing aid eligibility information without also giving assistance with the form had no significant effect on FAFSA submission rates. aHardcopy version available to institutional subscribers. aSystem requirements: Adobe [Acrobat] Reader required for PDF files. aMode of access: World Wide Web. 7aH2 - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue2Journal of Economic Literature class. 7aI2 - Education and Research Institutions2Journal of Economic Literature class. 7aJ24 - Human Capital • Skills • Occupational Choice • Labor Productivity2Journal of Economic Literature class.1 aLong, Bridget Terry.1 aOreopoulos, Philip.1 aSanbonmatsu, Lisa.2 aNational Bureau of Economic Research. 0aWorking Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research)vno. w15361.4 uhttp://www.nber.org/papers/w1536141uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3386/w15361